I'm reading Radical.
Enough said, right?
A recent discussion the girls and I discussed in my Monday morning (6am!) Bible Study was a topic that David Platt brought forth in Chapter 4. What is the different between having a heart for those surrounding us (serving locally) and having a heart for those around the world in foreign lands? I have thought and prayed about it. Here is what I (personally) concluded.
Truly, I never thought that I would have a passion for sharing God's Word with the world. Remember, I once thought that a mission trip was going to be a check in my bucket list (like going to Paris or something!) But God changed my heart. Once my eyes were opened to the faces, the smiles, the LOVE.....it's consumed me and has given me a restless spirit to return in some way, someday. However, another thing I have learned is that going over seas, opened my eyes to the needs around me in my very own city. After an offer from a friend from church, I became part of an outreach ministry to share Christ with the Burmese. Once I returned from Greece, I was so ready to share with those who may not have heard or even may be hard to the gospel (since most are devout Muslims). Therefore, GOING to the nations, has given me a heart for the nations HERE locally. It became a ripple effect. A ripple in my heart and in my life. Before, I compartmentalized it as someones' "gift" to reach the unreached. Now, my eyes are opened to the needs I didn't see before, or truthfully, cared about before. I was consumed in my needs, my family, my church life, my, my, my, my....it was all about me.
But I can't pretend to not "see" anymore. And I pray that my focus is changing everyday - away from me.
Does that make sense? I may be rambling, so........
this verse helps me sum it up -->
"...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."
Proverbs 24:12
God's word is so TRUE, and this verse speaks to my heart - now. I feel a responsibility and a burden and a restlessness because my eyes have been opened.
Here is the "Wordless Wednesday" picture. It is one of the sweet families that I worked with this week. They are very kind, welcoming, thankful BUT faithful Muslims. My prayer is that one day they will see Christ enough that HE will change their heart and accept him as their Savior.
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"
Romans 10:14
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